Dive Sites

Here is a brief description of some of the walls, reefs and wrecks that we regularly dive. There are many more dive sites we go to than listed below, and some sites have several different names. The depth in metres beside each name is the maximum depth of the dive site, and the "mins" refers to travel time from the dive centre.

Gota Abu Ramada. Max 18M. 90 mins. Busy reef to the south of Hurghada. The word 'Gota' before a name means 'a piece of', as in this case where the reef is considered a piece of the nearby island of Abu Ramada. Stunning in terms of the quality and quantity of fish and coral species. This circular shaped reef can be swam round in 75 minutes, but most dive centres divide the reef into 2 separate sites - the east or the west side. One can also jump in at the reef's most northerly point and do a drift dive, whichever side the current takes you, to the moorings on the south

side. In September the sandy area beneath the moorings is a favourite nesting ground for Mr Nasty - the Titan triggerfish, who is guarding the female's eggs - so don't approach the large conical depressions in the sand where the female has laid her eggs.

Erg Abu Ramada. Max 25M. 70 mins. The word 'erg' before any reef name tends to refer to a large pillar or pillars of coral. Three small ergs rising up from a coral garden at 20 metres to just below the surface. A must for photographers, particularly those into macro photography. There is often quite a current running through here so not ideal spot for beginners.

El Aruk Gigi. Max 14M. 65 mins. A great shallow dive opposite the beach at small Giftun island. Several ergs rise up from a sandy bottom all heaving with life. It's great to swim over the relatively sparse sand between the ergs, which are scattered up to 30 metres distance from each other, to appreciate the mass and variety of species that a small coral column can support.

Abu Ramada South. Max 30M. 70 mins.
Something for everyone here; intros, snorkelers, courses and divers, and the remains of a steel hulled dive boat sitting on the reef at 5 metres depth. A very popular site as it offers great protection from the northerly winds. If you want depth, follow the reef west to where the plateau turns into a wall. There is a good variety of fish with Napoleons and giant morays guaranteed.

Abu Ramada North. Wall dive. 75 mins. Max depth is up to you. A wall dive where there is no degree of slope, just a perfect vertical drop into the dark blue. The only site where we have seen hammerheads in Hurghada. You will also find some nice glass-fish-packed-caves between 25 -35 metres.

Small Giftun Drift. Max 40M. 75 mins.
If you had to choose just one dive site to sum up diving in Hurghada to someone who had never been here you would probably choose this one. A current to some degree is nearly always present heading south along a wall from which a plateau starts to appear at about 20 metres depth. The plateau, which starts to move away from the wall, hosts turtles, morays, groupers and all sorts of rays. Over the edge of the plateau you will find various small caves. Drift along the edge of this growing wedge shaped plateau for sightings of pelagics, but don't stray too far as if the current is strong it is difficult to fin back to the moorings.

Sharb Sabrina. Max 22M. 75 mins. Nearly always the second dive after the Giftun drift. Also done as a drift when currents are present. The boat drops you off in the middle of what can be best described as an open bay, where you float down to some pretty coral gardens at about 18 metres. The sea floor is flat so your sense of direction/compass work must be good. After meandering amongst the coral heads for a while, head west to hit a small wall and simply follow this south, which will take you to the moorings. This is a site which will always throw surprises at you.

You cannot have a bad dive here - this is where you will see the family of assorted sized Eagle rays swim metres past you in a perfect 'V' formation. Beneath the moorings amongst the coral rubble huge morays can be found.

Umm Gamar. Max 40M. 45 mins. A small island that can only be reached in good weather. A fantastic site, as visibility is normally superb with lots to see whether looking into the blue or studying the nudibranchs on the various coral pillars that force themselves upwards from the sloping bottom. Any one of these pillars is worth a good 20 minutes as they are all jam-packed with critters. Bring a small torch as they are well riddled with crannies and small caves with incredible hues of purple, red and orange. Moorings are, as usual, on the protected south side, but the dive can

be done as a drift along the eastern edge of this crescent shaped island. If you are the first boat there in the morning there is a good chance of sharks and tuna.

Sharb Ruhr Umm Gamar. Max 40M. 40 mins.
Just five minutes south of Umm Gamar this reef, which rises up out of nowhere, offers at least 4 known wrecks lying at various angles on its steeply sloping walls. Only one wreck is shallow enough to be accessible to sport divers but it is heavily broken up. This wreck was a small, twin diesel powered launch used by the army which used to supply fuel, food and water to the troops stationed on the nearby Shedwan Island. Its scattered remains start at 8 metres, just a few metres from the moorings, and extend down to the remains of the hull perched above the drop off at 38 metres. Again, if you're lucky enough to be there first in the morning, you stand a good chance of seeing white tips and grey sharks. Beneath the mooring, numerous huge free-swimming morays patrol aimlessly and the many small caves at 5 metres make for interesting exploring whilst doing your safety stop.

Carless Reef. Max 40M. 40 mins.
Often mistakenly written as Careless Reef, this small expanse is Hurghada's most westerly dive site and like the above two sites, only accessible in good weather. Ravaged by the crown of thorns starfish 5 years ago, some areas do look a bit sparse but the wildlife is there. This is the spot for shark watching with greys, silver and black tips lurking on the western side down a sloping drop off which starts at 25 metres. Can be ravaged by current from which there is no hiding place, so not the place for introduction dives or courses.

Sharb Iris. Max 16M. 40 mins.
A row of ergs of various sizes running east-west, teeming with life. A real microcosm of all the Red Sea has to offer, in an area about the same size as a few tennis courts. All the small pretty stuff with turtles, rays, morays as well. Often done as a second shallow dive after doing one of the above three sites.

Gota Paradiso. Max 20M. 50 mins. A bit of an unknown reef that is not often dived, though there are 2 permanent mooring lines here. We are not sure of its real name but the word 'paradise' came to mind the first time we dived it. An oval erg that can be swum round in an hour. The coral here is pristine, untouched and in every conceivable shape and colour. Some large shoals of fish are to be found at the northern end, seeing what the prevailing current brings in and we have seen several eagle rays here.

Fanadir. Max 25M. 20 mins. Our nearest dive site and fortunately for us one of the best. This reef is several kilometres long and runs virtually parallel with the downtown area of the city. A nice site with the boats being able to moor so the dive platfroms can be positioned to allow you to make a stride entry and subsequent descent straight down the wall without any surface swimming. This wall drops to a sandy plateau at about 15 metres which slopes downwards to another drop off which starts at 22 metres. Don't waste your time going over this second drop off, save

your air for cruising up and down the main reef which is teeming with life, including stone fish, scorpion fish, schools of cornet fish and even the occasional dolphin. The sandy plateau has blue spotted rays, devil walkmen and octopi. Small caves are packed with lion fish and glass fish.

Fanous. Max 25M. 30 mins. 30 minutes from the dive centre. Max 25 metres. Due west from our centre, this reef is split into two dive sites, East and West Fanous separated by a small lighthouse perched on the reef to mark the most northerly point of Giftun island. The word 'fanous' is Arabic for 'lighthouse'. The moorings for both sites are in the lagoon behind the outer reef, so a few minutes swim is necessary over a sandy/silt bottom before arriving at the outer edge. These first few minutes of normally poor visibility do allow you to appreciate the riot of colour

and life that await. Our most frequent dolphin sightings, both above and below water, have been at Fanous.

Stone Beach/Umm Dom/Hamda. Max 30M. 40 mins. Three different names for the same site. A mixture of coral garden and wall, this site lies at the foot of cliffs on Giftun Island and should really be done as a first dive before the afternoon shadow reduces colour and visibility. Having only a couple of mooring ropes and confined maneuvering space means that it never gets too crowded. Highlights here are massive schools of fusiliers, banner fish and surgeon fish.

Excalibur/Susannah. 20 mins. A harbour wreck sitting in 22 metres nearly opposite the popular diver's hangout 'The Chill'. Can be dived from the shore as well. This liveaboard known by 2 completely different names sank at anchor in 1995 after an electrical fire and sits upright on a coral/rock bottom. It makes for a perfect introduction to wreck diving, as part of a course for example, and though not huge, provides enough to make a dive on her worthwhile. Easy access to the interior through the salon doors allow a risk free bumble through the glass fish packed interior where

toilets, hand basins, electrical gear and a cooker are easily recognizable. There are always some lion fish hanging around the remains of the bowsprit and some nice soft corals grow around and over the salon windows.

El Mina. 15 mins. The second harbour wreck commonly dived lies in 32 metres and was a Russian built mine sweeper (one of four bought by the Egyptian navy) and sunk in 1969 by Israeli fighter/bombers. She is about 70 metres long and lies on her port side. The permanent mooring line is attached near her two propellers and when busy there is a constant flow of divers either going up or down the line. The visibility here can be poor, with a current running, so very few risk a free descent onto the wreck. For the military buff there is lots to see in the way of

drones, cables, anti-aircraft guns and lots of shells of different calibre lying around. Not a lot of fish life though with the exception of the bow, where similar to the Excalibar, lion fish and glass fish live side-by-side, noses into the current.

Abu Nuhas.
The reef of Abu Nuhas lies 3 hours away due north on the edges of the Suez Canal and over the centuries has claimed the lives of dozens of vessels. There are 4 wrecks which are dived regularly lying against her northerly edge, with many more that did not sink immediately after hitting the reef, scattered around lying in hundreds of meters of water.

The Carnatic The Peninsula & Oriental Passenger Steamer "Carnatic" was built by Samuda Bros of London and classified as an 'iron framed planked passenger steamer of 1776 tons'. Her dimensions were 89.8m x 11.6m with a draught of 7.8m. In addition to square-rigged sails, she was powered by a single 4 cylinder compound inverted engine which produced a very handsome 2,442 hp. In September of 1869 she gently struck the reef but did not sink immediately, in fact the captain and the 210 passengers and crew spent the night on board as no one believed that a steel hulled ship, sitting gently on a coral reef, would be in too much trouble. After 36 hours on the reef though, due to the pivoting of the boat with the rise and fall of the

The Giannis D Launched in 1969 as the Shoyo Maru, the Giannis D was built by the Kuryshima Dock Company of Imabari, Japan. A 'General Cargo Vessel' of 2,932 tonnes, she possessed two cargo holds forward, with bridge and engine room at the stern. Her dimensions were 99.5m x 16m with a draught of 6.53m. She had a 6 cylinder diesel engine producing 3,000 BHP and a top speed of 12 knots. In April 1983 on a trip to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with a cargo of teak planks, thinking that there was nothing but the Red Sea to traverse, the captain fell asleep in his cabin after ordering 'full speed ahead'. He had, however, not reckoned on Abu Nuhas and it was not long before he was very rudely awoken by the sound of the

The Chrisoula K
A 'General Cargo Vessel' of 3,720 tonnes, the ship was built in the German Baltic port of Lubeck and launched in 1954. Her dimensions were 98m x 14.8m with a draught of 9m, powered by a 9 cylinder diesel, capable of 2,700 hp. Lloyd's List for September 1981 included the following item under "Casualty Report": "Chrisoula K (Greek). Suez, Aug 31 - MV Chrisoula K, ran aground yesterday in the Red Sea, sustaining serious damage but no casualties, shipping sources said today. The vessel hit coral reefs near the Egyptian naval base at Ras Banas. Rescue units from the naval base picked up the 21 member crew unscathed and took them to Suez. The vessel, carrying floor tiles from Italy, was on her way to Jeddah. The seriously damaged vessel was considered a total loss". Just like the Giannis D a few years later, the captain had fallen asleep on a trip to Jeddah after thinking he had cleared any danger after exiting the Suez Canal, only to be rudely awakened as the ship went full steam onto the reef. Today the front half is very broken up and scattered through wave action, as a considerable part of the front end rode up and onto the reef. The stern section is good for penetration but seems a little unstable and with large waves above you, there is a lot of creaking and movement from within.

The Kimon
The Kimon was a 'General Cargo Vessel' of 3,714 tonnes with 4 cargo holds - two forward and two aft of the central bridge structure. She was built in the German town of Hamm in 1952. Her dimensions were 106.4m x 14.8m x 6.81m. She was powered by a 4 stroke, single action, 8 cylinder diesel. The Kimon was of a similar size, tonnage and age to the Chrisoula K and many misleading accounts show photographs of one ship whilst describing the other. In December 1978, the Kimon loaded 4,500 tons of bagged lentils in the Turkish port of Iskenderun for a trip to Bombay. 25 years later we find her lying next to the Chrisoula, the exact story of events which led to the vessel hitting the reef unknown. She lies nose on to the reef with her stern at 32 metres, the most broken up of the 4 ships.

Salem Express. 5 hours.
Although it's some 12 years since it met it's tragic fate, divers are bound to be profoundly moved by the Salem Express. It goes without saying that visitors to the wreck must act with the utmost respect, due to the many hundreds of people who perished here so tragically. The Salem Express was a sizeable roll-on roll-off car ferry, with two huge engines. Its sheer size makes the wreck an awe-inspiring sight and, as it lies in comparatively shallow water, divers can make their way right round it and thoroughly explore the deck and the ship's superstructures. At about midnight on 15th December 1991, the ship, crowded with religious pilgrims returning from Mecca, hit one of the coral banks south of Hyndman Reef, off Safaga Port. The collision left a gaping hole in the forward part of the hull and caused the huge stern door to burst open. The ferry immediately took on enormous quantities of water through the two openings and in a matter of minutes the 100m long vessel was swallowed up by the sea. According to official figures, there were 690 passengers on the Salem Express and only 180 survivors. However, there are claims that many more passengers were on board than listed, and that up to 1600 people perished in the tragedy.

The Salem Express now lies on its starboard side at the foot of the reef, with its deepest part in 30m and its port side 10m from the surface. Scattered around, sometimes in near new condition, one finds shoes, suitcases, stereos, plastic toys, clothing and, soberingly, 4 lifeboats in a cable entwined heap that failed to get away.

The Thistlegorm. 5 hours The Thistlegorm was built in 1940 by the North Eastern Marine Engineering Company of Sunderland and launched on 9 April 1940. She was a cargo vessel, 415 x 58 x 25ft, with a gross tonnage of 4,898 and armed with a 4.7in gun and one machine gun, both of which were surplus from the First World War. Her last voyage was from Glasgow, in 1941, where she was loaded with a cargo of small arms ammunition, shells, land mines, armoured vehicles, jeeps, motor bikes, wellington boots, steam locomotives and rolling stock.

The Thistlegorm sits upright on the seabed and is now the worlds most dived shipwreck. The visibility in this area of the gulf can be variable, but normally averages between 15-25m, which enables you to appreciate the full impact of the size and condition of the vessel.

As you swim off the bow deck and down the stairway it is immediately obvious that this ship is a wreck divers dream. Moving down the ship you encounter the first of the rolling stock on the upper deck. Adjacent are the forward holds, now without their hatches, which hold munitions, motor cycles and jeeps at a depth of 25m. The bridge and accommodation areas are still intact and safe to explore, and are the shallowest part of the wreck at 10-12m. The greatest damage to the ship is behind the bridge superstructure where the bombs first struck and the subsequent explosion tore into the hull. Here, the holds are well opened up and below you are tracked vehicles (Bren gun carriers), shells and land mines. Beyond this badly damaged area you can see the stern section lying slightly to her port side. The 4.7in gun and a heavy calibre machine gun are still there, but they are now covered with a selection of corals and sponges. The rudder and propeller are still in place, home to more extremely large groupers and the maximum depth here is 31m.

The depth range and configuration of the ship makes for easy and reasonably safe diving, although you should be wary about penetrating too deep as there is some silt, and there is no telling how unstable the cargo is. Being at the entrance to the Gulf of Suez, the Thistlegorm is exposed to strong currents, so you should ensure that you always return to your own down-line (which is sometimes difficult to spot among all the others) as open water decompression could take you quite a way up or down the Gulf.